The Information Below will help clear up any Questions you may have on CB Radio, reception, models mods & More.

SECTION 1 - MODES, FEATURES & RANGE

WHAT IS SIDEBAND or "SSB"? A - "SideBand" (SSB) is a mode capability found in higher-end CB Radios. You will have access to the Upper & Lower Sideband Modes (USB, LSB), on each of the 40 channels, in addition to the "Regular" (AM) mode, using the "Am/USB/LSB switch. When switched over to a sideband, each receive signal must be "fine tuned" in with the clarifier or voice lock control found on the SSB CB radio, otherwise people will sound garbled or distorted. Keep in mind that when switched to a sideband, you can only communicate with other CBers that have that same SSB capability as well. You can usually expect an increase in range, & less noise on SSB, than on the "standard" AM 40 channels.

WHAT IS THE "TALKBACK" FEATURE? A - If your CB has TalkBack, this is a feature that lets you hear or "Monitor" yourself thru the CB Radio's speaker while you are transmitting. It can be useful to check the sound of power & Echo type mikes. If turned up too high, you will get a feedback squeel, however. There are also external TalkBack Speakers that can give some CB's this feature when this type external speaker is plugged in.

WHAT RANGE WILL A CB RADIO GIVE ME? A - "Generally Speaking", range for a mobile CB Radio could be anywhere from 1 or 2 miles, to even 20 to 25 Miles or more, depending on the terrain, type of antennas used, & other factors. The "typical" range to expect from a mobile CB, with a good antenna, is about 2 to 5 miles, but you will actually get both more & less than this, in certian areas & terrain, & as you drive around. Home Base Station CB setups, with larger building roof mounted Base antennas, will usually give more range than the ground level mobile units do, & the small handheld "walkie-Talkie styles will usually give much less.

WHAT DO THE RF & MIKE GAIN CONTROLS DO? A - Mike Gain (also called "DynaMike" & XTRATALK" on some CB's), is your microphone's transmit "volume control", & can be lowered to reduce backround noise, or if your voice is really loud. The RF Gain control can be thought of as a "Receive Distance Control", & by turning it down, you can reduce the radio's sensitvity to distant chatter, noise & signals that are too weak to reach. The Better CB's will usually have both of these controls.

WHY DOES THERE SEEM TO BE MORE STATIC ON CB CHANNELS THAN WHAT I HEAR ON OTHER TYPES OF RADIOS? A - Just like you car Stereo's AM/FM Bands, where the "AM" has more interference & static than the "FM", CB channels are transmitted & received using a similar "AM" type of transmission mode. Other two-way Radios like FRS, GMRS, Amateur, Police scanners ect all may receive in an "FM" mode. Again, with CB, just as switching to "AM" on your car stereo, you will notice more static than when on FM. Look for CB Radios that include a Noise Blanker ("NB") switch, which helps minimize some of this noise better than standard CB's that have no noise filters, or just an "ANL" switch.

WHAT IS THE FREQUENCY DISPLAY OR FREQUENCY COUNTER, & WHAT DOES IT DO? A - On some CB Radios, such as the Uniden 880, 980, & the Galaxy DX-959, DX-929, DX-939 & DX-979F, there is either a built-in, or add-on Optional, 5 or 6 digit frequency counter display. This will show you the actual RF Frequency of the CB channel you are tuned to (ie.. 27.4050 Mhz is CB channel 40), Here is a Table of all 40 US / Canada CB channels, & their actual Frequencies:

1) 26.965 MHz

9) 27.065 MHz

17) 27.165 MHz

25) 27.245 MHz

33) 27.335 MHz

2) 26.975 MHz

10) 27.075 MHz

18) 27.175 MHz

26) 27.265 MHz

34) 27.345 MHz

3) 26.985 MHz

11) 27.085 MHz

19) 27.185 MHz

27) 27.275 MHz

35) 27.355 MHz

4) 27.005 MHz

12) 27.105 MHz

20) 27.205 MHz

28) 27.285 MHz

36) 27.365 MHz

5) 27.015 MHz

13) 27.115 MHz

21) 27.215 MHz

29) 27.295 MHz

37) 27.375 MHz

6) 27.025 MHz

14) 27.125 MHz

22) 27.225 MHz

30) 27.305 MHz

38) 27.385 MHz

7) 27.035 MHz

15) 27.135 MHz

23) 27.255 MHz

31) 27.315 MHz

39) 27.395 MHz

8) 27.055 MHz

16) 27.155 MHz

24) 27.235 MHz

32) 27.325 MHz

40) 27.405 MHz

IS THERE A CB MADE WITH A BUILT-IN POLICE RADIO SCANNER or FRS TRANCEIVER? A - Yes, The Uniden BearTracker 885 has a Digital APCO Police Scanner and full 40ch CB Radio Transceiver in 1 unit. There are no CB Radios with other transmit capabilities services, however.

WHAT IS THE BEST ANTENNA FOR MY MOBILE CB RADIO? A - This is tough to answer, & there are many variables, but here are some good general guidelines & "Rules of Thumb" to follow. First, The Taller the antenna, the better it will work. Mount your antenna as high as possible on the vehicle, & try to get at least 50% of it over the roofline. Usually, all else being equal, the Tallest, longest antenna you are comfortable with, mounted as high as possible, will give the best performance. For Example, mounting a new 4 foot CB antenna in the same spot where you were using a 2 foot, will usually give better results. It wouldn't really matter what "brand name", color, or style the 2 ft antenna was. Mounting Height on the vehicle, & the antenna length should be more important than other considerations. Keep in mind that, generally, CB antennas that are less than 3 feet tall, those that "stick to the glass", & the AM/FM/CB "combo" antennas & adaptors usually do not give the best performance, they are bought & sold mainly for "convienience" & "cosmetic" reasons.

WHY DO I SEEM TO SOMETIMES LOSE A PERSON'S SIGNAL QUICKLY WHEN DRIVING MOBILE? A - This is a common question. Remember, in some types of terrain and/or driving speeds, you can lose another CBer's signal rather quickly. For example, two Vehicles traveling about 60MPH, going in opposite directions, become a mile apart every thirty seconds! There are easily many situations where that would be enough to easily lose each other within a minute or two, depending upon terrain, antennas ect....

SECTION 2 - LEGALITIES

ARE CB TRANSMIT AMPLIFIERS (BOOSTERS, MODULATORS, LINEARS) OK TO USE, & CAN I BUY ONE? A - No. It is against USA FCC rules to use an external transmit Amplifier on CB radio channels in the USA. It is also against current FCC rules to sell or market amps that are capable of operating "out of the box" on CB channel frequencies. That being said, there seems to be many places that sell them anyway, However we Do Not sell them.

DO I NEED A LICENSE TO OPERATE A CB? A - No, since the early 1980's, the FCC stopped requiring licenses for USA CB radio use. Users must still abide by all the FCC rules regarding the CB Band, however.

IS THERE ANY LICENSE I CAN GET OR BUY THAT WILL ALLOW EXTRA CB CHANNELS OR HIGHER POWER? & HOW MANY CHANNELS CAN I HAVE IN MY CB RADIO AFTER I GET A HAM (AMATEUR RADIO) LICENSE? A - ALL USA CB radios are allowed only the 40 regular CB channels, the radio must be FCC approved for CB use, & have the 4w AM/12W pep SSB maximum output power, license free. There is No "Ham", Business, or other License that will allow the user to run higher Power, use "extra" channels, buy/sell CB amps or modified Amateur Rigs in the 11M 26/27Mhz CB Radio Band.

CAN I LEGALLY USE CB RADIOS FOR COMMERCIAL DISPATCH OR BUSINESS? I ONLY NEED A COUPLE OF MILES OR SO RANGE & OCCASIONAL USE, & CB IS A HECK OF A LOT CHEAPER THAN MONTHLY CELLPHONE BILLS, OR COMMERCIAL 2-WAY EQUIPMENT... A - Yes you can. CB was mainly used for commercial purposes, when it came into being in the late 1950ís and early 1960ís. As long as you understand the reception, interference and range limitations of CB in your area, you can use economical CB rigs for your dispatching & business, both base and mobile. CB is in wide commercial use even today, by snow plowing, Delivery, farming, trucking, Landscapers and many other businesses.

SECTION 3 - SWR & GENERAL INFO

WHAT IS THE "FREEBAND", "UPPERS" or "OUTBAND"? A - These Terms refer to frequencies or "Extra" channels that are directly above or below the standard 40 CB channels (approx 26-28Mhz). While not FCC assigned for either CB or Amateur use in the USA, These 11 meter freqs are never the less very popular with some hobbyists (worldwide), & are mostly used by "bootleg" CB &/or Amateur operators that internally modify their CB, Amateur, "Export or 10 Meter" Radios to "reach" these channels. Although many of these frequenciess are still "technically" assigned for commercial or other users, Most legitimate licensed users of these frequencies abandoned them long ago, & now you will usually only hear "unlicensed bootleg operators" when monitoring these frequencies.

IF I WANT TO USE A MOBILE CB AS A HOME BASE STATION, WHAT WILL I NEED? A - Besides a good Base Station CB Antenna, (see our Shop Online Catalog), you will need a Regulated Power Supply, to convert the "120vac House current" to 13.8VDC "Car current". Most Standard CB radios Draw Less than 4 Amps, so a good Regulated unit, rated between 4 and 8 amps output will suffice. See our OnLine Catalog for Power Supply Selections, such as the Pyramid models PS-7KX & PS-8KX.

IF ALL CB's ARE LIMITED TO 4W & 40ch, ISN'T A $69 SET AS GOOD AS A $200 CB? A - NO. It's like saying, "Since all AM/FM car stereos pick up the same stations, isn't a $50 unit as good as one that sells for $300", or saying, " That $400 HDTV is 1080p, it must be the same as the $3200 1080p model"... Factors like Receive sensitivity & selectivity, Noise Filtering & Transmit modulation quality & more will all be better in a more expensive model. You get what you pay for. Also, features like Mic & RF gain controls, Talkback control, built in meter functions, noise blankers, & more, will also vary with different CB's.

WHAT'S A POWER MIKE? A - "Powermikes" or amplified microphones, are replacement microphones for a CB radio that require a battery, and are voice amplified. They do not give the radio more power (watts), but most usually sound much better, clearer & louder over the air than the cheaper basic "stock mikes" that are packaged & sold with the CB. They also allow the user more versatility, to speak a little farther from the mike than with the "stock" unit, & help amplify softer voiced people too. Some Power mikes include "Hobby" type controls such as "Echo/Reverb", or sound effects, while others do not.

WHAT IS A "NOISE CANCELLING" MIKE, & WHAT DOES IT DO? A - This is a microphone designed to reject more backround noise, & only pick up the user's voice close to the mike, as compared with a either a standard or regular power mike. It is useful to truckers & drivers that have Loud engine or road noises as they drive, but is not really nessessary in a quiet car or a Base Station setup.

WHAT IS "SWR" & ANTENNA TUNING? A - SWR (Standing Wave Ratio)is a measure of how well your antenna is "matched" or "tuned" to operate at CB channel frequencies, & to your vehicle. Unlike TV, AM/FM or Scanner antennas that do not Transmit, the CB & other "transmit" antennas need to be tuned to operate or Transmit correctly & most effieciently. If severely "out of tune" (having a poor SWR reading), damage to the transmitter can result. While most good CB antennas, when mounted & grounded correctly as the maker intended, will usually have a "safe SWR", keep in mind that it is still a good idea to check & optimize your SWR reading. Regardless of Mfgr's claims, there really is no way to "Factory pretune" mobile antennas for the CB frequencies. The same exact antenna can actually give very different SWR Readings, when mounted on different vehicles, or even in different spots on the same vehicle! Remember, When Setting the SWR you are NOT Matching the Antenna to the Radio, but rather the Antenna to the vehicle, & frequency of operation.

HOW DO I CHECK MY ANTENNA'S SWR TUNING? A - It's fairly easy, you will need either an SWR meter function built into your CB radio (eg.. a Cobra 29, Uniden 880 or Galaxy DX-959 / DX-929), or you can use an external SWR meter, hooked between your radio & antenna (see our OnLine Catalog). Follow the directions that come with the equipment. Readings above 3:1 ( "Three to One" )are considered bad or even dangerous, readings of 1.5:1 ("One point five to One") or lower are considered excellent. Readings around 2:1 or so are safe, but an effort should be made to tune the antenna for a lower reading. Actual tuning of the antenna will vary by type, but usually involves raising, lowering or trimming a whip or tip element, or adjusting a ring or tuning control at the top or bottom. Some antennas are factory sealed & not easily tunable, We would not normally reccomed these for a performance setup. Remember, the Meter or radio can only check the SWR, not change it. Tuning the SWR reading must be done at the antenna itself. Most local CB installation shops will charge about $15-$25 to test & tune your antenna, if you'd rather not attempt it yourself.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT BRANDS OF CB SETS AVAILABLE? A - The major currently sold brands in the USA & Canada are Cobra, President, Galaxy, Uniden and Midland. Check our OnLine CB Radio Catalog for our current offerings.

IS THERE A WEB PAGE TO COMPARE FEATURES OF DIFFERENT CB RADIOS? A - Yes, We've Taken care of that!! See our CB Radio Feature Comparisons Page To see charts of AM & AM/SSB feature comparisons!.

WHAT IS A "ROGER BEEP" & WHAT's IT FOR? A - The Roger Beep is a single or multi tone that is transmitted for a brief second when you unkey your mike. This was originally intended to give a true confirmation to the receiving station of when the other person was finished talking, especially during weak signal & SSB reception. Most modern day CBers simply use it for "fun & games" however & it should be turned off if others find it annoying. Some CB sets have this feature built in (Galaxy DX-2547 & DX-959, Uniden 880, Most President CB's), or it can be purchased in an optional power mike or internal add-on board.

WHAT IS A "GROUNDPLANE" & WHAT ABOUT ANTENNAS FOR FIBERGLASS OR NON METALLIC SITUATIONS? A - Most mobile Vehicle antennas are actually "half" of the antenna, the other "half" is the body of the car or truck, which is connected to the shield ground side of the coax cable. This "other half" is also known as the Ground Plane of the antenna. If the Groundplane isn't adequate or large enough, poor SWR readings &/or performance will result. There are special "No Ground Needed" antennas designed for Boats, Fiberglass Door Trucks ect. Some of these antennas require a special included cable that can't be cut or replaced, others can be used with any cable. If a regular CB Antenna is mounted fairly close to, but not on, the vehicles ground, such as on a truck's fiberglass door, sometimes running a thick ground wire from one of the mounting bracket's bolts, to a good chassis ground, May sometimes work, & allow the use of "standard" mobile CB antennas in these situations.

WHAT SHOULD ONE "WATCH OUT FOR" WHEN ORDERING / BUYING CB RADIO EQUIPMENT ONLINE? A - There are some things to avoid, that may be unknown to a person "new" to CB.

--* First, remember that in most cases it's mainly the Physical size of the antenna that matters, & don't get suckered into buying a smaller antenna by some retailer's or Mfgr's Advertizing gimmics. Forget Mfgr's claims of "wavelengths" worth of wire wound into an antenna, "gain" numbers, colors, "catchy names" and the like. There really simply is no practical way, for example, to design a 3ft CB antenna to work consistantly better than a 5 foot CB antenna that is mounted in the same spot, regardless of the brand name, "dB gain", "loading" or "wavelength" claims of the Mfgr.

--* A few CB's may seem to claim 5, or even "7 watts of output" on the box. This is misleading, it actually refers to the Audio power sent to it's built in speaker, "input" power, or some other nonesense that has nothing to do with the actual transmit output to the antenna, which is still 4w or less in that radio. In fact, it is usually the small, thin "cheaper" bottom-end CB radios & handheld "Walkie Talkies" that make these silly claims!

--*WATCH OUT, & Stay Away from Radio Dealers that have "Unlisted", "Unknown", or high shipping charges when doing internet or Mail order. It's very easy for some dealers to "advertize" a $175 "sale" on an item that really sells for $199 elsewhere, when they Actually charge you $208.50 "delivered" for that "supposed $175" dollar item! It's Truly Amazing how many Internet dealers expect their "customers" to actually "Purchase, Check out, & enter Credit Card info" without ever knowing exactly what the main or extra shipping/hdlg charges will be!! --*Be Careful also, when looking thru other Online Retailers webpages. While Every Single One of the CB Radios we offer Are Brand New, with Full USA Warranty, NO exceptions, you may see many "other" Online dealers actually selling refurbished, "Factory renewed" and "Grey Market" "Export", no-warranty items, all mixed on the same page! This put up a "Red Flag" warning in our book & should in yours!! Also be careful about shops claiming that a brand new, factory sealed CB radio needs to be "tuned up" or "aligned" etc, it's often just a way to get another quick $30 or so from the internet customer, with little return. Other "Red Flags" to watch out for are no storefront address, strange hours, just a "PO box", "PayPal Only" for payments, & "Fine Print" shipping Terms that tell you to wait for "days" before even requesting common sense information such as your order's tracking number! We here at Advanced Specialties Inc are an Established Radio Dealer, appreciate your business & try to help with info pages like this one. We ship items daily, & just some of our customers include The US Goverment & Military, Major Network News, Movie & TV production Companies, Police, Fire and Ambulance Departments & members, Municipalities, and regular hobbyists worldwide!! Remember... ,In this day & age, it is easy for even a teenager with a "PayPal" account to whip up a colorful website & try & take people's money!!

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